What are some great records to get you started with French house / future funk?

Hey everyone - welcome back at the discotheque.

I thought I'd do something a little bit different for today's post - with there being lots of renewed interest in French house, a good future funk scene happening and a revival of the blog house movement of the late 2000s, there's likely new people wandering into these scenes every day - this post is for them, as I hope to cover some of my favourite records from both French house and future funk, that I feel are great entries for those that want to explore these genres further. 

Without further ado, let's get into this - starting with French house.

Daft Punk - Discovery (2001)

There's absolutely no way this album wouldn't be first on the list. A timeless record filled with great grooves, fantastic production (I mean, it's Thomas and Guy-Man, what do you expect?) and a wide variety of sounds and ideas, Daft Punk's sophomore album is a true treat - blending pop, smooth, chilled out, slightly R&B influenced beats with club heavy filter house, funk and just the right dose of nostalgia and pure joy. My favourite album of all time, and the all time greatest of French house records. A must listen, for any new fan of French house or future funk for that matter.

Cassius - 1999 (1999)

Another bona fide classic of French touch, the debut album from legendary duo Cassius is a true classic in many people's eyes. Although this LP is known for it's several smooth, exciting filter house jams with great sampling techniques and hard hitting beats - there's also a crap ton of hip hop influence, with 1999's second half stuffed with dusty breaks and a crap ton of low end. Although rough at points, it's charm is undeniable. Best listened to in full.

Le Knight Club - Crydamoure: Waves I (2001)

Released in the summer of 2001, the first "Waves" compilation for Guy-Man and Rico Chedeville's label Crydamoure is filled to the brim with late 90s filter house jams, which double down as energetic, exciting and fun, but also chilled and in many ways, relaxing. This compilation features several iconic artists from the first wave of French house - Le Knight Club, Sedat, Play Paul, Paul Johnson - amongst many other legendary artists, bringing legendary tracks. As the title suggests, this album is perfect for playing on the beach - or if you're feeling extra cool, perfect for DJ sets too.

Supa Channel - Highlight / Tear Da Roof Of Da Suckers (2005)

Although this single is fairly underground - it's an absolute beauty. Released on underground German label Chateau Funk in April 2005, Supa Channel's third single does not disappoint, delivering two thumping jams built for clubs, with some excellent sample work and just the right amount of crunch to give it that old skool flavor. An extremely underrated, wax only release from a hugely underrated trio of producers. To add - although the A side "Highlight" is amazing, especially pitched up for a bit of extra kick, it's all about "Tear Da Roof Of Da Suckers" - never have I seen a more crazy B-side.

The Phantom's Revenge - Original Tracks (2010)

A seminal record of the "disco" side of the blog house era in my eyes, the first album from The Phantom's Revenge is a wild ride and a half - complete with lots of bass heavy filter house jams, insane production / sampling techniques which still blow my mind even after repeated listens, and lots of groovy experimentation and fantastic ideas thrown in there for good measure. Produced during TPR's early years (2008-2010) when MySpace was king and blogs ruled the world, this album, although now a decade and a half old, still holds up extremely well. It's fun, wild, built for parties, glitchy, mind blowing and in some parts surprising and humorous. Absolutely worth it, every single time.

Louis La Roche - Me and Her (2009)

One of my favourite EPs of the late 2000s, Louis La Roche's second EP, released on his label Ever After Records in April 2009 is a personal favourite of many - it's four tracks cover every basis for classic French house, while sprinkled with his signature style. Mix fat beats, classic sampling, vocoders, a whole lot of bass and a whole lot of fun, and you get Me and Her. Essential listening if you want to just have a good time. To add - it's all about Sunshine Hotel on this release, it's such a banger.

interlectra - Between Readings (2025)

Ending out this section with a modern release, UK based producer interlectra's second album - released on netlabel Creux La Nuit on March 21st is an absolute joy to listen to. It's filled with so many amazing tracks which are produced insanely well - there's lots of groove to get lost to in here, and every track has a different feel or mood. There's also lots of great instrumentation - the synth work is fantastic on this album - especially with tracks such as "Everything You Need" and "Pop" - If you want to look at where French house is heading in the next five years, this is a definite must listen, and a perfect release for new fans of the genre.

Right - let's get onto some great records to get people started with future funk!

SAINT PEPSI - Hit Vibes (2013)

Just like Discovery, there was no way that this album wouldn't be first on the list. Ryan DeRobertis' seventh LP Hit Vibes is known to many as the first ever future funk record - stuffed to the brim with dozens of fantastic grooves and upbeat bangers, this marked a stark departure for DeRobertis - as before this, SAINT PEPSI was a moniker for vaporwave. Despite that, this album's impact is undeniable - it's a smooth listening experience with stand out moments sprinkled everywhere - and the LP's heavy reliance on funk and disco ushered in a new era for DeRobertis' music - as this is where he would end up going to for his first dance pop album under the name "Skylar Spence" - In short, Hit Vibes is a classic which changed the game. A must listen!

ID Chief - night life (2015)

An extremely underrated EP released during future funk's heyday as a genre, Night Life is the third EP from New York's finest ID Chief - and across eight tracks, he flips classic funk and disco records down to a T to bring several heavy, groovy club bangers full of low end while sounding glitzy and fresh throughout. Released through legendary label Business Casual, over time this EP has become an underground classic in the future funk scene, being bought over 15,000+ times in the last decade. It's buttery smooth, fun and features collaborations between Aloe Island Posse, ConsciousThoughts and JD senuTi. There's no misses here - listen to it!

Matabei and Kattch - Feels Like Heaven (2016)

Getting it's break through legendary promotion channel Artzie Music, Matabei and Kattch's Feels Like Heaven is a true classic of the genre - with some great chopping, smooth beats and great breakdowns throughout, it's not hard to see why this iconic single has been played hundreds of thousands of times. Furthermore, there's some obvious French house influence in track - and for that reason, I love it, as it can blend perfectly in French house sets, too. In short, a must buy. Groovy, fun and downright awesome - it never fails to put me in a great mood. 

Desired - Best Before 1998 (2020)

Released on Hong Kong based label Neoncity Records, Desired's eighth album is, truly, Desired at his best. Across twelve expertly produced jams, the Russian producer flips obscure city pop, disco and funk to make a well rounded, in many ways iconic album, with plenty of groove, some fantastic sample selections, intricate chopping and thumping beats. A future funk album built for dancing in the sunset to, this LP is an absolute joy to listen to, and it's gotten me through some difficult times (ahem, GCSEs) - so as groovy as it is, it's a perfect listen for a pick me up. A great listen for new fans!

Kouek - Downtown (2023)

At the moment, French future funk / house producer Kouek is becoming the next big thing in the scene - and it's not exactly difficult to see why - this album, is perfect proof. Released on Business Casual (and later My Pet Flamingo, also!) - this 14 track LP is an extremely memorable listening experience, with extremely high quality production throughout, some fantastic techniques and overall - it's smooth, fun, extremely addictive and a must listen in the modern future funk scene. My favourite tracks include Movin' On, Dice Game and Goodbye.

There you have it, everyone!

I hope you enjoyed reading today's post - and keep enjoying your stay at the discotheque.